Men's Basketball Comeback Thwarted by Emmanuel

Boston, Mass. (1/10/2013) – The Lasell College men's basketball team dropped a hard fought 81-77 result to Emmanuel College in the Jean Yawkey Center on Thursday night.  The Saints improved to 3-9 overall and 3-2 in the league.  Lasell fell to 1-12 on the season and 0-6 in the GNAC with the loss.

Lasell was led by 25 points, 5 assists and 3 steals from Brandon Ganesh (West Palm Beach, Fla.). Don Stephens (West Palm Beach, Fla.) finished with 17 points, including burying 5 of 9 from long-range for the Lasers.

Emmanuel's Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) collected scored a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers.  Everson shot 62.5% (10-16) from the floor for the game, while hauling in 13 boards in 26 minutes of action. Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.)recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Saints.

The Saints rushed out to an early lead, scoring seven points in the opening minute of play, including an and-one by Xavier Everson.  Emmanuel was able to build a 17-11 advantage after a hoop in the paint by Alex Myers (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) at the thirteen minute mark.

Lasell then went on a 10-0 run with Brandon Ganesh knocking down a three-pointer nearing the ten-minute mark to give the Lasers their first lead of the night at 18-17. Another Lasell three-pointer, this time by Don Stephens, made it a 21-17 spread with eight minutes to play in the half.  Two Emmanuel hoops down low by Theo Robinson sandwiched a pair of free throws by Everson and the Saints found themselves back out in front, 23-21.

Lasers junior guard Rob Roy (Dover, N.H.) and Emmanuel's Myers exchanged trifectas at either end and the Saints held a 32-28 lead at the two-minute mark.  Rookie swingman Rashad Dixon (Brockton, Mass.) drained a three on Emmanuel's next possession putting the hosts up by seven. Junior guard Josh Welles (Philadelphia, Pa.) made it three treys in a row for the Saints, when he stuck one from the corner, giving Emmanuel a double-figure lead at 38-28. After one final Lasell basket before the break, Myers beat the halftime buzzer, pulling up from downtown and draining the Saints' fourth three in as many possessions.  Emmanuel took a 41-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Everson opened the second frame with two quick hoops and the Saints surged out in front by fifteen, 45-30.  Lasell cut it back to single digits after three-pointers from Roy and Stephens made the score 47-38 with sixteen minutes to go. A Ganesh jumper brought the score to 54-47, before Everson drained one from downtown and the Saints regained their double-figure lead.

With just under ten minutes to play, Stephens drilled his third three of the night and brought the visitors back to within seven at 59-52.  Stephens dialed in again from downtown, before Robinson connected on an and-one at the opposite end and the Saints led 68-61 with six minutes to play.  Welles converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Emmanuel went back up by ten, 71-61 with 5:33 remaining.  Ganesh and Stephens hit from long-range on back-to-back possessions to bring the Lasers back to within streaking distance, down 78-75 with 2:05 on the clock.

After an Emmanuel full timeout, Robinson scored on a put-back and Emmanuel went up 80-75 with 58.8 remaining.  Sophomore forward Frank Apisa (Branchburgh, N.J.) laid one in on a drive for Lasell and brought the score to 80-77 with 41 seconds left. Robinson hit one of two from the line and put the Saints up four before a Lasell timeout with 11.6 to go. The Lasers couldn't connect on their final possession and the Saints pulled out the 81-77 win.

The Saints are back in action this weekend, when Emmanuel hosts the Falcons of Albertus Magnus College in a 3:00 p.m. start.  Lasell will play host to Suffolk University in a 4:00 p.m. tip.